Crossroads And Consequences
by dinkydow
Summary: Jack and Sam have some healing to do after their time with the Replicators and he knows just the person help.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Crossroads And Consequences Part 1

**Author: **dinkydow

**Email: **Sequel to "Repercussions From The Interview" and "What Fools These Mortals Be Sequence", hurt/comfort, drama.

**Rating: **PG-13

**Season:** Season 8

**Spoilers: **No chocolate to deal with pesky hot flashes and no whipped cream for your pumpkin pie. Oh, those kind of spoilers? None that I can think of, except "New Order" in Season 8.

**Warnings: ** Deals with the after-effects of rape and violence. Some language.

**Summary: **Jack and Sam still have some healing to do after their escape from the Replicators.

**Disclaimer: **Nope, still don't own any of them. Couldn't afford to if I did and don't have a mountain to hide them in. Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions do. I wrote this for entertainment and won't be making any money for it, so please don't sue. But, if you guys want any help with scripts, or Jack, just give me a holler.

**Dedication: **To our fighting men and women and the loved ones who have to watch them march in harms way.

**Author's Notes:** Here's another Dinkyfic. Many thanks to Linda and Jolene for being my betas. Original characters are the property of the author and may only be used with my permission.

Samantha Carter bent over her laptop, adjusting the firing sequence of her latest virtual naquada reactor design. A knock on the door startled her and the laptop clattered to the floor unnoticed.

Suddenly, Sam was back with the Replicators. As if she were a spectator watching a movie in which she held the starring role, she watched the scene unfold.

Jack's evil bug twin, Thing One stood at the door of her lab, leaning casually on the door, a smirk on his face.

"Whatcha doin', Carter?"

"Sir?"

He stepped into the room, and Sam gasped. It wasn't her Jack. It was Thing One. Jack's name for them had been very appropriate. As usual.

"Don't call me that," she instructed, her voice harsh with strain and. . .fear?

"What?" His, no, 'Its' eyebrow quirked upward, so familiar, and yet so bizarre.

"You aren't him, so don't call me Carter," that said, she stood, eyes boring into its artificial face. Whether this act of defiance was meant to convince herself or that THING that she was strong enough to resist whatever they had planned, she had no idea. Maybe it was best not to think about right now.

'_Yeah, follow Jack's advice, Samantha. Don't think so much.'_

It chuckled, a hollow sound that had no warmth or humor in it. "Ya think? By the way, welcome to your brain. You like?"

"You mean. . . ?" She looked around wildly.

"Yeah, sure, yabetcha. All this is taking place inside that cute little blonde head of yours." It tapped the side of its head and smirked mockingly.

Its words echoed inside her head. "All brought to you courtesy of your not-so-friendly neighborhood techno-bug-man. So, are you a happy camper . . . happy camper?"

Sam flinched and squeezed her eyes shut; her arms grabbed the side of her head as if in pain as the mocking words echoed surreally inside her brain. The flashback had seemed so real; as if she were back there experiencing everything all over again. One hand reached down to her thigh and she pinched the skin hard between her fingers. When it hurt, she sighed in relief. Pain was a distracter that grounded her to the reality of her rescue from the horrors of the Replicators.

'_I used to feel safe here, deep within the SGC. It was my safe haven, my favorite place to lose myself in my work, my retreat from real life problems, like relationships, or the lack of one. No anymore though, not since Fifth.'_

"Carter?"

She recognized the voice immediately, and that too helped ground her to the real world.

"Sorry, sir. You startled me."

She ducked her head away from him and bent over to retrieve her laptop from the floor. If she were lucky, nothing had been broken and no data had been lost, but with the way her luck had been running, she wouldn't hold her breath.

From the sound of his footsteps, Sam could tell Jack was walking toward her and she deliberately turned her body so he wouldn't be able to see her embarrassment.

Jack knelt down next to her, foiling her strategy. "I can see that. Hasn't that sort of thing been happening to you a lot lately?"

"It has? I hadn't noticed." Sam kept her head down and concentrated on the retrieval of the fallen computer.

"That's probably because you've been burying yourself in your lab." Jack tugged the laptop out of her hands and scooted it away from her feet. Then he helped her stand.

"Did you need something, sir?" Sam shrugged away from him.

"Nope, just wondering what you're doing still working at 0230 in the morning, that's all." Jack tapped the face of his watch, which caused Sam's gaze to jump to his hands and then his face.

Jack was still dressed in the same fatigues he'd worn all day, and the black circles under his eyes told the story of sleepless nights.

"I could say the same about you, sir." Sam smiled, and hoped he didn't notice the bags under her eyes. She suspected he'd been sleeping as well as she'd been since they'd returned from their latest escapade with the Replicators, in other words, not at all.

Jack shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, well, I'm beginning to think that sleep is overrated. You?"

It was Sam's turn to shrug. "Oh, you know. A few hours here, a few hours there . . ."

Jack nodded and rocked back on his heels. "I'm not surprised, considering all the crap you've been through lately. As if meeting up with Fifth wasn't enough, you had to put up with a week of being debriefed by General Hammond and the NID. Just that alone would be enough to keep you up at night."

"I seem to remember you being there too, sir. I'm not the only one they put through the wringer." She bit the inside of her mouth thoughtfully. "Any idea when they'll release us back to full active duty?"

Jack looked pensive and shrugged. "When the new Doc feels we're back to normal, whatever that is. She told me that you're not eating or sleeping."

Sam looked down and caught sight of the temporarily forgotten laptop. She knelt down and cradled it carefully in her arms, grabbing it as a delaying tactic that would give her time to think of an excuse he might believe.

She turned and placed it on the bench, well away from the edge. "Haven't been feeling hungry lately, that's all. Plus I've been trying to catch up on all the work that piled up while we were gone."

"Carter?"

Sam's eyes snapped to his brown ones.

"I don't believe you. Did you keep your appointments with Mackenzie?"

"Yes, but then, you know that, sir." Sam's lips thinned as she grimaced with distaste.

"You're right, I do." He paused and licked his lips. "Did it do any good?"

Sam looked down at the toes of her boots and wrapped her arms around herself in a hug.

"No," she whispered.

"Didn't think so." He paused. "Bad dreams?"

She kept looking down and rubbed her arms, savoring the sensation it brought. "You might say that." Sam looked at Jack noting how tired he looked. "You?"

For a moment, he looked startled, then sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face. "Yeah, me too."

Sam looked away, not sure what to say.

'_I'm not really surprised Jack is having nightmares, not after what he went through at the hands of Fifth and my own evil twin. My God, how can he stand to look at me after what that Techno-bitch did to him? It's a wonder he can stand to be around me after I left him there with those THINGS! God, why do I have to care so much about that man! He's my CO! Why won't these feelings just go away? All this "stuff" is not only against the regs, but it's damned inconvenient. God, now I'm even thinking like Jack. Ya think, Carter?'_

Sam sighed in frustration as her eyes darted to Jack's face and then away again. Her CO didn't look so good. In fact, he looked like he'd lost weight since their return and she knew he'd been ordered to see Mackenzie too.

'_Admit it, Samantha Jean Carter; there is no way you can stop worrying about this man. Not after all you've been through with him. Not after all the times he's sacrificed himself for you.'_

She scrubbed her arms again, reveling in the reality of the rough texture rubbing against her skin.

'So go ahead and worry, not that it will do any good. This man is at least as stubborn as Dad when it comes to accepting help, even when he needs it. I wonder if he kept his appointments with Mackenzie. I'll bet he couldn't talk with that shrink either.'

Raising her gaze off the floor, Sam peeked from under half-closed lashes at the man standing in front of her. As usual, he'd picked up something and was fiddling with it. She smiled and held her hand out to him in a familiar gesture. Jack smiled apologetically and placed it in her hand, his fingertips brushing ever so gently over her palm. Despite herself, she shivered as his fleeting touch sent tingles all the way to her groin.

To distract herself, she turned away to place the purloined object back where Jack had snagged it. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face him with her hands laced safely behind her back. It was safer that way, for both of them, in that it prevented her from grabbing him right there and kissing the smirk right off his face. She smiled despite herself at that mental picture, and then felt a stab of guilt.

'_You're not exactly acting like you're engaged to be married, Sam. How can you be thinking like this when Pete is waiting for you right now? Is that why you're not going home?'_

Totally oblivious to the man in front of her, Sam bit her lower lip as she continued her inner conversation.

'_But then again, Pete hasn't exactly been supportive of my job, and me since I came back. And then there's always my relationship, or lack of one, with Jack. What am I supposed to do about that? Why does life have to be so damned complicated? Why can't life be as easily managed as one of my equations?'_

Jack cleared his throat noisily. "Earth to Carter?" He waved his hands in front of her face. "Anybody home?"

Sam blinked her eyes and then wrapped her arms around her middle again. "Oh, sorry, sir. I was thinking."

"So what else is new? Anybody ever tell you that you think too much?"

Sam looked startled and then smiled when she saw his smirk. "All the time, sir."

"You want to go for some coffee?" Jack smiled almost apologetically. "I mean, since we're not going to get any sleep tonight anyway. You look like you could use a break."

"Sure, maybe the commissary will have cake." Sam smiled. "Just give me a minute to close this program." She tapped out some commands on the laptop and then closed it.

Jack sipped his coffee and eyed the woman sitting across from him. Despite the fact that she looked like she hadn't slept in two weeks and had lost ten pounds, she looked beautiful. A black dot floating on the surface of his coffee grabbed his attention and he dipped one finger disdainfully into the hot liquid and then wiped it on a napkin.

Sam's snicker caught his attention. "What?"

"Has anyone ever mentioned that you're finicky with your food, sir?"

"No . . . not lately." He shrugged and looked at the stained napkin. "Oh that. Just don't like stuff floating in my cup of Joe, that's all."

Sam snorted, and then choked on her piece of pumpkin pie. Her hand clamped over her mouth as her eyes watered, gasping for breath. Jack watched concerned as her coughing subsided. He slid her cup of coffee near her elbow so she could take a sip when she was ready.

Sam cleared her throat and loosened her collar before sipping at her now lukewarm coffee. "Sorry, sir. Went down the wrong tube."

Jack peered dubiously at the inside of his cup again, sighed and then set it down. "It happens. You up for a barbeque at my place this weekend?"

Sam's eyes widen in surprise. "Me?" She squeaked, and then cleared her throat.

"Yes, you, along with Daniel and Teal'c. I was thinking about inviting Josh and Kay too."

"Josh and Kay?"

"You know, the couple from the prison. I'd promised to invite them over sometime, and since we were planning to have a cookout, I thought it might be fun to have them over too." Jack waggled his eyebrows. "Hey, it was Daniel's idea for the cookout. He said there'd be cake."

Jack smiled and leaned on one arm, cradling his cheek with one palm. "I can make sure it's chocolate with butter cream frosting," he wheedled.

Sam took another sip of her coffee and watched him over the rim before setting it down. "It's a deal, sir. I'll be there."

"That's great." Jack sighed. "Yep, just hunky dory."

"Isn't Kay a counselor?" Sam looked at Jack quickly and then back down at her empty cup.

"Yeah, I think so. Is there a problem with that?" Jack's fingers began drumming nervously on the tabletop, then stilled when he saw that Sam had noticed.

"No. Not a problem with me, sir. I was surprised, that's all."

"No crime in having someone over for a cookout that just happens to be a counselor. Is there?" Jack raised an eyebrow in an attempt to look innocent; he had the feeling that she wasn't buying it though.

No, sir. No problem at all." Sam smiled nervously. "I think I'll try to get some sleep after all. It's kind of late, you know."

"Yeah, sure. Get some sleep, Carter. I'll go and um, tackle that stack of requisitions on my desk." Jack smiled and rubbed his hands together in mock enthusiasm. "Yep, that's what I'll do. That'll put me to sleep in no time."

Sam smiled and shook her head, pushing her chair back under the table. Then she picked up her dirty plates and balanced them in one hand. "That should do it, sir. I'll see ya later."

Jack stayed seated, his thoughts a million miles away from the commissary. He was worried about Carter; she looked like she'd been in the middle of a flashback when he'd come to visit her at the lab. From his own experience, he knew how real they could seem, and how disconcerting they were.

He scrubbed at his face and sighed. Jack had gone home only once since Thor had beamed them back to the SGC, but had returned after only a couple of hours, unable to remain there because of the jittery feeling he'd felt. He'd avoided leaving the base since that one attempt. It wasn't something he was proud of, but he couldn't face going home right now. His memories of their most recent misadventures with Fifth and his bug twins kept him from being able to relax there.

He wondered what the night sky looked like, if the stars were out. In the past, he'd spent hours stargazing through his telescope. His rooftop observatory had been the one place where he could escape from the horrific reality of his life, his safe haven. Fifth had robbed him of that, and he hated him for it.

He'd attempted finding peace there during his one visit home, and had frozen on the ladder, caught in the vision of the Techno-bitch cornering him and touching him. He scrubbed his face again, reliving it all for a split second and shuddered as his skin quite literally crawled. Resolutely, he pushed those thoughts away. He had a job to do. He was General Jack O'Neill and no freaking Bug Person was going to make him less a man than he already was.

Jack glanced around the commissary, and checked out its occupants. It was empty, no one had seen him zone out, thank goodness. He pushed back from the table and headed to the coffee urn with his cup. After that, he had a date with an overflowing inbox.

'No doubt about it, Walter will make sure that inbox of mine always stays full. How did Hammond ever do this? He made it look so damned easy. There are some times when I love being at the helm of the SGC. I've even grown to love being "the man" and dodging those pricks who are out to stick it to me. On days like this, though, I wonder why the hell I didn't retire a long time ago. If I had, maybe I'd be the house husband for Carter and we'd be working on getting her knocked up.'

'_Instead, I'm still here and so is Carter and we're both miserable, I have the feeling that she hasn't been able to bounce back from this latest debacle either. Not that either one of us have. Maybe Kay could help. I'll bet Josh would be just the ticket to help out with maintenance at the SGC. Siler's got a workload that would kill an elephant, so I know he wouldn't turn down any help I could round up for him. So, now I just have to convince them both to join our happy band of campers.'_

Armed with hopeful thoughts and a brimming coffee cup, Jack headed for his office.

To Be Continued in Part 2


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Crossroads And Consequences Part 2

**Author: **dinkydow

**Email: **Sequel to "Crossroads and Consequences Part 1", hurt/comfort, drama.

**Rating: **PG-13

**Season:** Season 8

**Spoilers: **No chocolate to deal with pesky hot flashes and no whipped cream for your pumpkin pie. Oh, those kind of spoilers? None that I can think have except the beginning of Season 8.

**Warnings: ** Deals with the after effects of rape and violence. Some language.

**Summary: **Jack and Sam still have some healing to do after their escape from the Replicators.

**Disclaimer: **Nope, still don't own any of them. Couldn't afford to if I did and don't have a mountain to hide them in. Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions do. I wrote this for entertainment and won't be making any money for it, so please don't sue. But, if you guys want any help with scripts, or Jack, just give me a holler.

**Dedication: **To our fighting men and women and the loved ones who have to watch them march in harms way.

**Author's Notes:** Here's another Dinkyfic. Many thanks to Linda and Jolene for being my betas. All original characters are the property of the author and may only be used with my permission.

Three days later Jack was in his backyard, tending to the steaks cooking on his gas grill. He'd used his special barbeque sauce; the meat had been marinating since last night and was already so tender they were falling apart on the grill. As for the aroma of the cooking meat, it was wonderful, the smell announced that a feast was to be had.

The picnic table was laden with other goodies, the usual potato salad, baked beans, and chips. The piece de resistance was the chocolate cake with butter cream frosting. Daniel had brought it and Jack could hear it calling to him even at this distance. So far, he'd resisted its siren call, but was caving under the pressure.

Carter and Daniel were seated in lounge chairs by back deck, and tried to look like they were relaxed, but, from their ramrod-stiff backs, were anything but. Kay had settled next to them and looked to be deep in thought.

Pete was noticeably absent. Carter hadn't mentioned bringing him along, and Jack sure wasn't going to bring it up if she wasn't. If she'd insisted that he be there, he would've bent over backwards to make him feel welcome. If it made Carter happy, he'd move heaven and earth to make it happen. However, the missing Pete wasn't missed, not by a long shot.

'_Damned Skippy, he wasn't missed.'_

Daniel had filled a plate with food from the table and given it to Carter, but she had only moved it around her plate so far. Kay had dug into the chips and dip, and seemed to be enjoying herself, but looked a little preoccupied. From previous descriptions from Josh, Jack figured Kay was analyzing everything in sight.

A platter piled high with hamburger patties and hot dogs were waiting their turn on the grill. Jack had saved them for last, knowing it wouldn't take as long for them to cook. Teal'c and Josh hovered around him like a wolf pack that guarded their kill. They looked hungry.

'Crap, can't those steaks cook any faster? I don't want a food riot on my hands. I learned the hard way never to come between a Jaffa warrior and his protein, never mind how. As it is, I'll carry that particular scar till the day I die. I'm just lucky that my uniform usually covers it up. At least I can count on Teal'c never blabbing about it . . . I hope.'

He grimaced in memory. 'Lucky for me the only people who've seen it so far have bought my war wound story. She even laughed when I told her I'd have to shoot her if I told her how I got it. As far as I know Janet never told anyone and since it happened off world, the whole patient confidentiality thing worked in my favor. God, I miss that woman.'

'Come on, Jack, snap out of it, you're supposed to be scoping out Kay and Josh for possible additions to our merry band of misfits up at the mountain. Wonder what they'll say when I pop the question?'

Jack patted the steaks with his spatula and wrinkled his forehead in thought. His gaze slid sideways toward the Jaffa who looked like he was on guard duty. His attitude matched the ones of the two SF's who were dressed in civvies, but were there at the insistence of Hammond. It had been a showdown of sorts; Hammond had delivered an ultimatum that rankled.

Jack thought back to the phone call to his boss. He'd called to invite him to the cookout; drink a few beers, shoot some bull, no big deal. NOT!

The conversation had been very one-sided, Hammond had done the talking, and Jack had tried to interrupt until he'd been told to 'shut up and listen'. The message had been short and to the point. "No guards, no cookout, Jack. This one comes directly from the President."

Sure, George had tried to soften the blow, explained how worried they all were about him and Carter, how they were so valuable that their country, heck the whole fricking planet, couldn't afford to lose them. When Jack kept up his protests, Hammond had finally played his ace in the hole, told him that since they hadn't been released for active duty yet, he could keep them locked up on the base. And would, if he didn't behave himself.

Hammond had brought up the subject of Jack's non-appetite and inability to sleep too. Jack wondered who'd squealed on him, and then figured that it had to be the new Doc. O'Neill couldn't hold it against her, even though he wanted to. Hell, she was just doing her job, like Fraiser had done . . . would have done in her place. If she were still around.

Jack tapped one of the steaks, and watched the blood ooze from the meat and drip onto the coals below. Teal'c liked his rare, one step from the slaughterhouse. He could almost hear the thing mooing, for pity's sake.

'_On the other hand, the T man hasn't gotten farther than ten feet away from me since he arrived, maybe he's attracted to something else, not the meat sizzling on the grill. I'll bet Hammond sicced him on me. And from the way Daniel is doing the mother hen imitation with Carter, it would be a safe bet that he's pulling guard duty too. Crap, this is ridiculous. I'm supposed to guard them, not the other way around.'_

Jack decided to test out his theory. "Hey, Murray. Your steak is ready." He pointed his spatula toward the stack of plates on the picnic table and then at the grill. "Want to get your plate off the table?"

Teal'c exchanged a glance with Daniel before he responded. He didn't need to say a word, just directed his gaze to one of the SF's sitting on the deck. The whole operation went off without a hitch. One minute, the Airman was sitting, the next he was headed for the picnic table with the air of a soldier assigned to a mission of the utmost importance.

Jack timed them on his watch. Fifteen seconds later, the Airman was holding the plate out to Teal'c. The Jaffa warrior accepted it with a bow of thanks. Sure, Jack could've tried being ornery, ordered young Airman Jones to cease and desist. After all, he was the guy's CO, but he wouldn't be that cantankerous.

It would've put the Airman in the unenviable spot of obeying his CO and then facing the wrath of a very scary-looking Jaffa who just happened to be in charge of training all SF's in hand-to-hand combat. Nope, although he could be a hard assed son of a bitch when it came to training, he wouldn't do that to the poor slob. After all, the Airman was just doing his job, and if he were honest with himself, he wouldn't want to face a very pissed off Teal'c either.

Jack couldn't resist the verbal jab at his Jaffa friend as he scooped the steak off the grill and laid it on the proffered plate. "You gonna eat that standing up?"

"No." A chair was already on its way, courtesy of the same SF. It couldn't have gone smoother than if it'd been planned that way. Come to think of it, it probably had been.

'Crap. I'm surrounded on all sides by well-meaning pain in the ass friends. I'll bet they would try to wipe my ass if I'd let them. Not that I'm going to bring it up. Teal'c takes guard duty way too seriously and has insisted on following me into the crapper on more than one occasion in the past.'

Jack raised his spatula in salute to Teal'c's strategy and his warrior brother acknowledged the compliment with a smile as he cut into his steak.

Kay studied the interactions between her host and his friends as she sat next to Sam. It was done without conscious thought, an action as automatic and natural to her as breathing. The phone call from General Jack O'Neill had come as a surprise. Sure, he'd promised to have them over some time. But, she'd taken that with a grain of salt. Between his probably hectic schedule and hers, she'd resolved that she wouldn't count on the meeting actually happening.

Josh had been just as surprised as she was, and from the way he was acting, he was as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof. She thought back to the instructions he'd given her as they were walking up to O'Neill's front door. The fact that they had been the same ones he'd given her when she started her job at the prison wasn't lost on her.

For that matter, it was the same speech he gave her whenever she went shopping by herself. They both knew she was easily distracted and was at risk for getting hit by a car in the parking lot while walking to the store. Well, she reasoned, she had a lot on her mind and had always been introspective. Even her Dad had told her she thought too much.

By now, she knew his instructions by heart, but he'd looked so serious and worried that she couldn't do anything but listen. "Keep alert, Kay. We don't know this guy very well, and from what I've seen of him and his friends, he's a spook. Always know where you are and who's around you. Keep checking for your exit points."

He'd stopped her right there on the sidewalk, put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "If you feel uncomfortable about anything, let me know and we'll make our excuses and leave."

Kay had smiled and nodded.

"Promise me you'll be careful?" Josh asked.

"Of course." Kay had slipped her arm around his waist as they'd continued to walk toward the front door. Her husband was just trying to keep her safe, that's all.

The visit had gone well so far, but she had to agree with Josh's assessment of the mysterious General O'Neill. She'd had little information about him when she'd seen him briefly at the prison. She only been told that he was to be considered dangerous, even when unarmed, and wasn't to be seen without a guard present.

Kay had followed prison protocol. Little did she realize that one interview would turn into something more. The million dollar question was 'more what?'

She dunked her potato chip into the dip on her plate and nibbled on it as she scanned the people around her. Standing by Jack O'Neill, Josh still looked nervous, as his eyes roved around the yard, the high privacy fence and well-tended flowers.

As for the woman sitting next to her, she looked jittery as she played with the food on her plate. Sam looked pale and thin, her cheekbones jutting through her pale skin. From the black circles under her eyes, she wasn't sleeping much. Her eyes constantly darted about the yard, as if she were afraid that someone or something would catch her by surprise.

'Let's see, poor appetite, inability to sleep, hyper-alert, and she looks like she could jump out of her skin, all the signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I should know, I've experienced it.'

Kay shivered in spite of herself and steered her thoughts resolutely away from her own experiences. It was one thing to deal with it on a professional level, but another thing entirely when your own feelings got mixed up in the whole mess.

'I wonder what traumatized her? For that matter, Jack has the same signs. I hardly recognized him when he met us at the door with those whopper bags under his eyes. He looks like a walking scarecrow and I'll bet he's aged ten years since I last saw him.'

'_As for Dr. Jackson and Murray, the mobile mountain, and the two extra guys; I believe they said their names were Jones and Simpson, are on edge. They all act like they expect Jack and Sam to disappear in front of their eyes. They certainly present a mystery, one I would dearly love to solve. Not that I'll ever have the chance, but . . . still, it would be a challenge, and I love a challenge. Probably why I still work at the prison. It was really tough going back there after . . . I couldn't let what they did to me beat me, even if it feels like they did. I had to show them . . . what?'_

Jack interrupted Kay's reverie. "Kay? How do you like your steak?" Seeing that he'd gotten her attention, he waved his tongs and continued. "Didn't you say medium well?"

Kay, plate in hand, walked over to the grill to eye the steaks there. She grinned as she inhaled the aroma of cooking meat. "Are they ready yet? I'm starved."

Josh smiled and shook his head. "Never stand in the way of that woman and her food." Jack quirked an eyebrow in question. "Don't let her tiny figure fool you, Jack. She'll eat everything in sight and if it's chocolate . . ." Kay's husband smiled knowingly. "Let's just say that nothing stands in the way of her and chocolate. I learned that the hard way."

Jack winced in sympathy and Josh grinned good-naturedly.

Kay stuck out her tongue in censure. "My steak ready yet?"

"Coming right up." Jack scooped up a juicy one in his tongs and Kay held out her plate for the sizzling meat.

Kay indicated her husband. "You want to join me, Josh?"

"Sure thing, honey. You lead, I'll follow."

Kay smirked. "But, of course, dear. Isn't that the way it works?"

Josh wisely said nothing, just shook his head and followed after he'd collected his own steak.

They both headed for the picnic table and sat down with their meal. Under cover of cutting up their steaks and grabbing extra food from the bowls there, they compared notes.

Josh scooped a spoonful of potato salad onto his plate and offered Kay some. She shook her head. "I'd rather have some of the baked beans. They smell delicious."

Josh nodded and ladled a large spoonful of the coppery brown beans onto her plate. When he put the spoon back into the beans, Kay spoke. "Not so fast, mister. I'd like some more. I really worked up an appetite today." Josh scooped another large spoonful onto her plate.

"Another rough day?" Josh picked up his knife and fork and began cutting up his steak.

"Not really." Kay concentrated on her plate, not willing to meet her husband's eyes. "I mainly had paperwork to do, that's all."

'_I know he worries about me, and since the riot, he's hinted that I should quit. Oh, he's never come out and said it. He knows me well enough to know that would be the exact wrong thing to do. I can tell he wishes I'd quit though. If you were honest with yourself, Kay, you'd admit that it's the hardest thing just to walk through those prison walls. If there were another job around here, I'd take it in a heartbeat.'_

'_But there isn't another job around here for you to take, and with Josh not able to work . . . you're stuck with it until something better comes along. Oh well, just suck it up, Kay. You're a tough broad; even the inmates say so. You can handle anything, right? Yeah, right.'_

Kay speared a piece of meat with her fork savagely and put it in her mouth. "Umm," she groaned. "This practically melts in your mouth. Josh, you _have _to get his recipe."

Josh smiled as he chewed, clearly enjoying it too. "Already on it, hon." He impaled another piece and raised it to his mouth.

Kay looked at him thoughtfully. "So, what's your assessment of this whole shebang?"

"I'd love to get my hands on the general's personnel file. It would probably make pretty interesting reading. I have the feeling that it's so classified that whoever reads it is shot immediately afterwards though."

Kay smiled around another piece of meat. "I agree. What else." She paused and smiled. "Come on, Josh. I can tell that you're leaving something out, so spill already." She picked up her can of soda and took a swallow.

Josh shrugged. "You got me," he admitted. He shoveled some potato salad onto his fork and hoisted it toward his mouth, then paused. "This whole group is as jumpy as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs."

His mouth closed around the bit of potato salad as he gestured with his now empty fork. "Both Carter and O'Neill could be the poster kids for battle fatigue anonymous. As for Dr. Jackson, Murray, and the two extra guys, they aren't much better. Those four act more like bodyguards than friends. And don't even get me started on the fact that I've heard helicopters circling us ever since we got here."

Kay looked at her husband in disbelief. "Go on."

Josh nodded to emphasize his words. "Believe me, I know the sound of a chopper when I hear one. They are definitely hiding something, and I'm not sure what it is. Whatever it is, it was no accident that we were invited here. You can count on that." He looked his wife in the eye. "You want to stick around?"

"Are you kidding? Of course I want to stick around. I mean . . . it couldn't be worse than what we've already been though." She paused. "Could it?"

Josh bent over his plate, and touched his forehead to hers. "Shh, here comes O'Neill."

Kay craned her head around to see what he was talking about. As usual, Josh had sat facing the majority of the people there. She, on the other hand, had sat with her back to them, another big no-no in Josh's book of survival.

Jack was headed their way, his plate laden with a steak that was still sizzling. Murray followed closely behind, much like a watchdog.

"Mind if I join you folks?" Jack called out with a smile and hefted his plate in their direction.

Josh's gaze took in Kay's nod of acceptance. "Sure, it's your table. Come and join us. Kay hasn't eaten up all the baked beans yet, but it's been a close thing."

Kay batted at his shoulder playfully. "Hush." She reached across the table and dabbed at Josh's chin with a napkin. "You're wearing your potato salad, dear. You planning to grab a snack later?"

Josh stilled and allowed her to minister to him, never taking his eyes off Jack and Murray.

Kay noted his stillness and swiped at his face one last time. "There, you look presentable again." She turned to Jack. "Men, you can dress them up, but you can't take them anywhere."

Jack made his way toward the picnic table and tried to ignore the fact that he now had his back to a potential threat, his rooftop observatory. Right now, he felt an uncomfortable itching sensation between his shoulder blades, like someone had painted a target there and even now, was zeroing in for the kill.

At his prior station at the gas grill, he'd been able to view his entire backyard, rooftop and all, with no difficulty. Now he couldn't, and try as he might, he couldn't shake the apprehension that something was about to go horribly wrong. He smiled and tried to convince himself that everything was just fine. It didn't work.

'Crap, Jack, get a grip on yourself. You know darned well that there is no reason why you should be so jumpy. It's only your roof, for pity's sakes, not Fifth's spaceship. There's absolutely nothing to be afraid of, between all the surveillance and your human guard dogs, you're one hundred percent safe.'

Jack stumbled and then caught his balance before Teal'c could grab him. 'Make that ninety-five percent safe.'

Jack shrugged off his Jaffa friend's offer of assistance and settled next to Josh at the picnic table, a position that gave him a better view of the yard . . . and his observatory. He smiled when he noted Teal'c taking up his station across the table from him. However, he straddled the bench that enabled him to watch Jack and the rest of the yard.

'_You know the drill with this PTSD crap, or at least you should by now, flyboy. You've been through it often enough to buy the t-shirt, wear it out, AND get frequent flier miles on the heebie-jeebie red-eye express.'_

Jack reached for the potato salad and scooped out a generous portion. The soft sound of salad plopping onto the table drew his gaze toward its cause. When he caught sight of how his hand trembled while holding the spoon, he almost dropped the ladle in embarrassment.

His stomach clenched as he viewed the tangible evidence of his weakness and carefully replaced the full serving spoon into the bowl of salad. Teal'c's shadow blocked the sunlight and drew his attention from the yellow blobs resting on the tabletop.

The Jaffa had risen and moved to his side, his hand resting on Jack's shoulder. "Allow me, O'Neill."

Jack shrugged away the offer of assistance with a slight twist of his shoulders and a grimace. "Nah, thanks anyway, T. I'm not that hungry after all."

"As you wish." Teal'c bowed and returned to his seat.

Josh's voice broke into Jack's inner reverie. "Rough mission, Jack?"

Jack's eyes hardened as he fought for some semblance of control over the riot of emotions that washed through his mind. "You might say that, but if I told you, then I'd have to shoot ya." A ghost of a smile played across his lips.

Kay snorted. "You sound so much like Josh when you say that, Jack." She paused, and then went on to explain. "That's the exact words that he used to describe you and your probable history." She smiled and shook her head. "I swear, you military types think so much alike. It's downright scary."

Jack huffed a breath and then scrubbed his face with both hands. "Yeah? I'll bet that husband of yours drives you crazy with crap like this."

Kay grinned back and then sobered. "Of course he does, that's all part of the deal. Seriously though. Have you been able to talk to anyone about . . . your mission?" She held up her hands as she saw Jack's mouth open. "I know, I know, you can't talk about it because it's classified. I'm worried about you, that's all. You should know better than to invite a counselor like me over when you're like this, because there is no way that I'll be able to resist asking. Just ask Josh."

Jack watched mesmerized as he pushed pieces of his cooling steak around on his plate with his fork. "Actually, that's part of why I asked you over here today." He looked up at her thoughtfully. "I was wondering if you'd be interested in a job working at our base?"

Kay gasped and her eyes widened. "What?"

Jack laid his fork down and studied her, his expression serious and earnest. "I mean it, Kay. We could use somebody at the base with your skills. I was impressed with the way you handled those thugs at the prison." He turned to Josh. "I'm offering a job to you too, Josh. The guy who handles electrical repairs and maintenance at our base is busier than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest. So, what do you say?"

Now it was Josh's turn to stare openmouthed at Jack. Abruptly, his mouth closed and then his lips thinned into a grim line. He swiveled to get up from the table and then bent double, unmoving with his face toward the ground.

"Kay?" He moaned and his hands grappled for the edge of the table.

His wife was already up as she moved around the table. "What's wrong?"

"I . . . I can't move."

To Be Continued in Part 3


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Crossroads And Consequences Part 3

**Author: **dinkydow

**Email: **Sequel to "Crossroads and Consequences Part 2", hurt/comfort, drama.

**Rating: **PG-13

**Season:** Season 8

**Spoilers: **No chocolate to deal with pesky hot flashes and no whipped cream for your pumpkin pie. Oh, those kind of spoilers? None that I can think have except the beginning of Season 8.

**Warnings: ** Deals with the after effects of rape and violence. Some language.

**Summary: **Jack and Sam still have some healing to do after their escape from the Replicators.

**Disclaimer: **Nope, still don't own any of them. Couldn't afford to if I did and don't have a mountain to hide them in. Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions do. I wrote this for entertainment and won't be making any money for it, so please don't sue. But, if you guys want any help with scripts, or Jack, just give me a holler.

**Dedication: **To our fighting men and women and the loved ones who have to watch them march in harms way.

**Author's Notes:** Here's another Dinkyfic. Many thanks to Linda and Jolene for being my betas. All original characters are the property of the author and may only be used with my permission.

Kay rushed around the end of the table, galvanized by the plea inherent in her husband's words, there was no way she would put off responding to him.

She knelt down beside him, a comforting hand laid tenderly on his shoulder. "Josh?"

Josh moaned again. "'S my back." He huffed out a breath. "Sorry."

Kay had slipped into professional mode, her senses measuring his tense posture and the spasms that wracked his torso. "Can you feel anything in your legs?"

She watched as Josh's eyes squeezed shut and then opened again. "No."

The sound of other's reminded her of where they were . . . and who was there with them. Kay looked away from Josh and noted that Jack squatted on the other side of her husband. Hovering above them, their faces mirroring their concern were Daniel Jackson, Sam, and Teal'c.

Kay stood. "It's his back, sometimes one of his discs slips and he goes down." She wiped her hands on her pants and turned to Jack. "Could I use your phone to call an ambulance?"

"Of course, but before you make that call, could you tell me more about this back problem?"

Kay squatted back down to talk with her husband. "Josh, can you help us lie you down on the ground?"

Josh grimaced. "I'll try." His shoulders shifted, then he sucked in his breath with an audible whistle. "Nope, can't do it. Sorry."

Kay looked up in time to see Jack go into what she recognized as full 'I'm in charge here' mode. "Teal'c, help me get this man onto the ground. Carter, you remember where I keep my bedding?"

Sam nodded.

"Good, get a couple of blankets, one to lay down on the ground and another one to cover him. We don't want him to get chilled when we shift him onto the ground."

"Yes, sir. I'll get right on it." The female officer smiled and backed away. Soon she returned with a two blankets. Kay took one and laid it on the ground near her husband, taking extra care to smooth all the wrinkles out.

Kay watched while Jack and Murray/Teal'c gently lowered her husband onto the blanket, leaving him curled on his side. Then, Sam handed her the other blanket, which Kay tucked around Josh, and patted his cheek.

Jack squatted next to her. "Josh? I need to ask you some questions."

Kay exchanged a worried glance with her husband and shrugged.

Josh nodded, his eyes barely open.

"How long have you had this back problem?"

Kay watched vigilantly as Josh whispered, even the effort of talking seemed to drain him. "The Army Docs say it's degenerative arthritis, caused by not dodging enough bullets and too many years of riding around in choppers. They told me I'm not a candidate for surgery . . . every once in a while my back goes out." He sighed. "Never this bad though." Josh's eyes shifted from Kay back to Jack. "That's why I'm retired and not working . . . why Kay still works at the prison after . . ." He closed his eyes.

"I guess the job offer is off now," the injured man muttered.

Kay stroked his forehead. "Shh, don't worry. We'll make it. We always do."

Jack rubbed his chin. "Hold the phone, guys. Don't give up yet." He settled on the ground, stretching out his long legs with his arms draped across his knees. "That's part of what I wanted to talk to you about."

"The job offers still stands for both of you." Kay opened her mouth to protest and Jack raised his hand. "Ah, just wait a minute and I'll explain."

Standing sentinel at his back, Teal'c objected. "Are you certain this is wise, O'Neill?"

Jack directed his gaze up at his Jaffa friend. "Yep, I'm sure." He smiled with a cat that ate the canary grin and gestured toward them. "In fact, I had these two checked out from here to next Tuesday before they came over and even Hammond agrees that we should do this." Jack's gaze went back to Kay and Josh, who seemed oblivious to what was going on around them, being so involved in their own concerns.

Kay cleared her throat to get their attention. "Jack, 911? I hate to see Josh in such pain. We really need to get him to the hospital as quickly as possible."

Jack's brown eyes bored into hers. "With your permission, I'd like to have him transported to my base on Cheyenne Mountain. We've got access to . . . advanced technology that might help your husband." He paused. "So, you wanna try it my way? I think we can fix him up so he could work again."

Kay looked down at her husband who was curled up on the ground and reached out to brush his hair away from his forehead. "Josh, what do you think?"

Josh opened his eyes, moved one arm, and grabbed her hand with one that was white-knuckled. "Sure, why not? We haven't got that much to lose at this point."

Jack got to his feet. "Airman? Time to earn your money. Get on the radio and call in a med-evac chopper. I want Josh flown to the SGC ASAP." He turned to Sam. "Carter, call the Doc at our Infirmary and let her know that she has a patient on the way. I want you to go with him. You might need to assist with your hand thingy."

Hands on her hips, Sam pursed her lips and looked doubtful. "You sure, sir?"

Jack smiled and waggled his eyebrows. "Ya think?" He rested a hand on her shoulder. "Yes, I'm sure, Carter. We need people like these two and it would be a crying shame if we couldn't help them out."

Lt. Colonel Carter smiled, one that lighted her eyes. "If you say so, sir. I'll go make the call." She grasped one of his arms with a hand, before it dropped away.

Already they could hear the telltale whop-whop of the helicopter blades, warning all that it was coming in for a landing. Jack noted with satisfaction that the Airmen had left to await the incoming chopper at the front on his house, which left Teal'c to play bodyguard to one aging and cranky general.

He'd noticed the remaining Airman follow Carter into the house and hoped she'd behave herself and not give him a piece of her mind. Jack had seen the glare that Carter had directed the Airman's way and fervently hoped to never be on the receiving end of one himself. He wouldn't wish that kind of tongue lashing on anyone.

Kay broke into Jack's inner thoughts. "What now?"

The med-evac chopper will land in front of my house, then it'll transport your husband to my base in Cheyenne Mountain."

"Why us, Jack? Why are you doing this? You don't have to, you know. We're just small potatoes, nothing special . . . really. What's in it for you?"

Kay chuckled and then sat down next to her husband after seeing Jack's startled look.

"You're going to get to ride in a chopper, honey." She smiled tenderly and then grimaced when he didn't answer. "Josh?"

"Oh, god." Josh muttered between clenched teeth. "It hurts."

Kay patted his extended hand. "It's all right. The medics are coming now and they'll bring you something for the pain. You know, the stuff that makes you think you're flying."

"Good," he breathed. "Make mine a double."

Kay transferred her attention back to Jack, but her hand never left her husband's. "You never answered my question."

"You're wrong, you know." Jack bent over Josh to shield him from any dust.

Kay looked at him sharply. "What?"

"You said that you were nobody special, just small potatoes." Jack took the time to glance at Josh and then back at Kay. "You're wrong about that."

Josh's retort sounded harsh. "How the hell would you know that?"

"I checked you both out before you even came over here. Did the full background check and everything. Plus I had the benefit of watching your wife in action at work . . . under very difficult working conditions, I might add."

"I was just doing my job." Kay protested and paused, and drew her eyebrows together, before she continued. "What did you find out when you did the background check?"

"I found out that you two are exactly the type of personnel we need on our base." Jack paused to buy himself time to think.

When he resumed, he spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully, as if afraid he might scare them off. "Ours is a special unit. We need personnel who are seasoned and able to adapt to . . . unusual and sometimes hazardous situations. From what I've seen of you two, you can do that. Sure, neither of you are spring chickens anymore, but we need your experience and savvy."

They were interrupted by the arrival of the medics. Behind them trotted Carter and an Airman carrying a litter.

Jack listened in as Kay detailed her husband's medical history to them. He smiled reassuringly as she met his gaze over her husband's body, while the paramedics began taking his vitals and radioed them in to a doctor.

Sam appeared at her shoulder. "I know these guys. They'll take good care of Josh."

Kay gave her a grateful look. "Thanks. Can I go with him?" She looked apologetic but then firmed her chin. "I don't want to lose sight of him. I'm afraid if I do . . . I'll never see him again."

"Sure, you can go with him in the chopper, in fact the general and I will be going along with you."

Kay looked relieved. By now the medics had placed Josh on a backboard and had strapped him into the litter.

Kay smacked her forehead. "What am I thinking?" She shook her head. "I swear, if my head weren't nailed onto my shoulders, I'd forget where it was. I almost forgot to call our kids. They'll be worried sick when we don't come home on time. I need to call our babysitter and tell the kids what's going on. And my purse, I can't forget that either. It's got our ID's and stuff in it. Where did I put that thing?"

Daniel surprised Kay by handing her the purse along with her coat. "Already taken care of."

Kay rubbed her face with one hand as she latched onto her purse and coat with the other. "Thanks. I don't know how I can ever thank you . . ."

Sam patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, you're among friends, even if you don't know it yet. We're pretty close-knit at our base, kind of like family. We take care of each other."

"Kay?" Josh's voice sounded weak.

"I'm here, Josh. I'm going along with you." As the litter began to move, she walked alongside him and held his hand.

"You'll do anything to catch a ride in a chopper, won't you?" she teased.

"Yeah, right," he winced and squeezed his eyes shut.

A couple of hours later, Samantha Carter was sitting at the Briefing Room table surrounded by Daniel, Teal'c and the SGC CMO, Dr. Brightman; as befitted his rank as head of the SGC, General O'Neill -- her Jack -- sat at the head.

In front of her, steel shutters blocked the view to the Gate Room. According to their doctor's exam and test results, Josh and Kay's version of his condition was correct, degenerative arthritis. A condition that while in and of itself was not life threatening, the constant pain it caused was debilitating. With the aid of some high-powered pain medication, he appeared to be resting comfortably in his bed in the Infirmary, several floors above them.

To Sam's knowledge, Kay hadn't left his side since they'd arrived, despite her obvious curiosity of their surroundings. She'd been asking a lot of questions, though, ones that Sam had been hard-pressed to avoid answering.

Surprisingly enough, there was something about the counselor that made her want to give her more than just a pat answer. For the first time in her life, Sam wanted to tell the woman her entire life story, everything, with no excuses, half-truths, or cover-up stories, the whole darn thing. She shook her head in wonder. That was so unlike her.

She looked up; Dr. Brightman had finished relaying her findings. Now it was Sam's turn to give her report.

Jack spoke first, his voice low and even. "Thank you for your findings, Doctor. What is his condition right now?"

The slender brown-haired CMO replied. "The session with Colonel Carter's healing device did help some, but most of the damage can't be repaired because it was caused such a long time ago. The disc has slipped back into place but the previous prognosis was correct. Josh is not a good candidate for surgery, most of his discs in his lower spine are non-existent, and so it's only a matter of time before he's in the same condition as before. I've given him some strong pain medication, it's about all I can do for him." She paused and looked the general in the eye. "I wish I could tell you differently. Sorry, sir."

Sam watched her CO's face for his reaction, but saw no change in the impassive mask he'd donned since the beginning of the meeting. Then he nibbled the inside of his mouth before speaking.

"No need to apologize, Doc. If I didn't trust you to do your absolute best with all your patients, you wouldn't be here now." He paused and then turned those brown eyes on Sam. "Carter, what's your opinion?"

Sam took a breath before beginning. "Sir, I agree with Dr. Brightman. I was able to relieve some of the swelling around his spine, but most of the damage is so old that I couldn't help much there . . . no matter how hard I tried." She smiled and shrugged. "I did clear up his sinus infection though. It was a pretty bad."

Jack smiled back. "Well, there's that. What I was wanting though was your opinion on the people themselves, Carter." He huffed a breath and steepled his fingers. "What do you think about Kay and Josh joining our happy little band of campers here at the SGC?"

Sam took a moment to compose her thoughts, and bit her bottom lip. "I like them, sir. What surprises me the most, though is that I trust them."

Jack chuckled, a distraction that threw off Sam's concentration for a moment, until Jack sobered and waved her to continue.

Jack's eyebrows waggled. "Even Kay?"

"Yes, sir. Especially Kay . . . even though she's a _shrink._"

Sam looked around the room and had to smile at the way Daniel's face registered outrage. She knew he had numerous reasons to distrust that particular profession.

"Wait a minute, Daniel. I know it sounds weird, but I can't explain it. Every part of me screams not to trust her, because of what she represents, but I just do. Something about her tells me it would be okay. I want to tell her the truth . . . about everything."

Sam ducked her head in embarrassment.

Teal'c spoke, his deep bass voice resounding in the confines of the room. "I agree with Colonel Carter's assessment. I too trust her. I have trusted her husband from our first meeting at the hospital. I would not have allowed O'Neill to be alone with him otherwise." He cocked his head as if in thought. "They would be a tremendous asset to the personnel of the SGC and the war against all false gods."

Daniel pushed his glasses back up his nose and frowned. "I have to admit that I like them too, even Kay. I didn't want to, but she won me over in just the short time I talked to her at the cookout, Jack." He glanced around the table. "It's a shame about Josh's back, though."

Jack's smirk caught Sam's attention; from experience she knew he was up to something. "Daniel?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

Sam hid her mouth with her hand, not wanting Daniel to see the grin on her face. Teal'c didn't bother to hide his smile and both eyebrows were meeting his hairline.

Daniel looked baffled. "Me? Forgetting something?"

"Ya think?" Teal'c answered with a look of innocence. Then he bowed to Jack.

Jack pumped his arm in the air. "Yes!" Then he rubbed his hands together. "When I told Kay and Josh that we had access to advanced medical technology, I wasn't just talking about stuff courtesy of the snakes, kids." He paused and waggled his eyebrows. "I was talking about a certain other race who happen to like us, the Asgard."

Silence reigned until Sam broke it. "Can we do that, sir?"

"For crying out loud, Carter. Give me some credit. Yes, we can do it, and I intend to contact them as soon as I get the patient's okay. General Hammond has already given me permission to talk to them about our little gray allies."

Sam ducked her head in embarrassment. "Carter?" Jack's gaze softened. "I had the same reaction when I first met Kay in that god forsaken prison. As for Josh, I would trust him with my life, and I like to think I'm a pretty good judge of character."

Sam's head came back up at the sound of his voice. "I would too, and I hardly know him."

"As would I," Teal'c added, his hands clasped on the tabletop.

"So it's settled, then." Jack looked around the table and everyone nodded their agreement. "Then my next step is to talk to Josh and Kay." He turned to Dr. Brightman. "Doc? How soon can I speak to Josh about this? I want him to be able to make a decision, but if he's all doped up on happy juice, he won't remember his name let alone this."

The doctor looked hesitant and consulted her watch before answering. "He shouldn't be conscious for several hours yet. I had to up his dose, the first one didn't do the trick." Jack's eyebrows rose. "He was complaining about the noisy fan in the ventilation system. He said it needed adjusting."

Jack laughed. "See? That settles it. We need this guy here, or rather, Siler needs him." He rose from the table, prompting Carter to rise also. "I'll meet you all in about an hour, after I've talked this over with Kay and Josh."

He looked around the table. "Dismissed."

Kay sat at her husband's bedside deep underground. It was a place unlike any other hospital she'd seen so far, and she'd been in quite a few. So far the staff had been great, and they were attentive and seemed to know their stuff.

For the moment, Josh was sleeping, the lines on his face smooth. She hadn't been able to stop her laugh of amusement when he'd complained about the noisy fan. That man of hers was certainly being true to character. He couldn't stand to see equipment operating at less than optimum efficiency. Too bad that he couldn't work anymore though.

She looked up when Jack O'Neill came into the room. She still had trouble with the idea that the dangerous prisoner she'd talked to so many years ago was now a general, one who'd taken a personal interest in their welfare. It almost seemed too good to be true, which set all her alarm bells ringing. Usually whenever something was too good to be true . . . it was.

Well, she'd just have to make sure that this general realized that he wasn't talking to a couple of kids fresh off the farm.

Jack cleared his throat. "How is he?"

"Still asleep, at least he isn't in any pain."

Kay watched as he snagged a nearby chair and sat down. "I just talked the our Doc. She confirms what you told us."

Kay bit her lip and looked at her hands clasped together on her lap. "So much for your advanced medical technology. I should have known better than to hope for anything different."

"Who says we're finished?" Kay looked up in surprise at his words.

"What do you mean?" she narrowed her eyes. "Don't you dare give us false hope, Mr. high and mighty General O'Neill." She stood, anger written on her face. "The worst thing you can do right now is give us sugar-coated lies. If you can't do anything more, just tell me. Just don't give us false hope. We don't want your lies or charity. Josh doesn't deserve that . . . and neither do I."

Then she crumpled to her seat, lip trembling as she wiped at the tears in her eyes. Jack reached out a hand to her.

Kay growled a warning. "Don't touch me! I'm mad right now." She sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "I thought I could trust you."

Jack's hand stopped midway then jerked upward. "All right. I won't touch you, but I'm not lying. Honest."

"What do you mean? Sam tried that glowing thing, but it didn't work. And your doctor's test results all said the same thing."

Jack handed her a Kleenex. "Look Kay. I really do want both of you to work here. You are right about what the doctor said, she told me the same thing. But I want to call in another . . . consultant; I needed to check with both of you first. You see, he has to come quite a distance, and we don't call him in for just anything."

Kay blew her nose and then looked at him through narrowed eyes, then wadded the crumpled tissue in her hands. "What's going on here, General O'Neill? As Josh would say, something's fishy here, and it ain't the food. So spill it, mister."

Jack squirmed in his chair, looking like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Josh chose that moment to moan.

Kay caught the movement from her husband's fluttering eyelids out of the corner of her eye. At the same time, the towering man-mountain, Teal'c/Murray came into the room. Suddenly their _private_ room was beginning to have all ambiance of Grand Central Station, Kay thought with an exasperated look at Jack.

"Kay?" Josh whispered.

With a parting look that promised that their discussion was far from over, Kay leaned over her husband. "I'm here, Josh."

"What's yelling 'bout?" he muttered.

Kay smoothed Josh's hair away from his forehead. "It's all right, hon. Just getting some things settled. That's all."

He blinked his eyes and squinted. "Between your yakking and that damned fan, can't get any sleep around here."

Kay smothered a chuckle. "You must be feeling better if you're complaining about the fans already." Josh opened his mouth to comment and Kay held up an admonishing finger. "No, you may not climb up there to fix it, Mr. Joshua Dow. You do and I'll break both your legs."

Josh rolled his eyes, but remained silent. In the meantime, Jack had scooted his chair closer to the bed.

"You up for some questions, Josh?"

Kay and her husband exchanged glances. "Sure," Josh answered.

"Our Doc gave us the same verdict as the ones you saw, so I would like to call in a special consultant. We don't use him often, but he's the best."

Josh raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Jack's eyebrows rose to the challenge. "What?"

"Why are you doing this for us?"

Jack spread his hands. "Because we need people like you and your Kay here at the base, that's why."

Kay broke in, laying a hand on his shoulder to get her husband's attention. "He told me that he wants us to work here, that they need our experience and savvy. He's been up front with me so far, I'd like to see what he has to offer." She shrugged. "It's not as if we have a whole bunch of other offers, Josh." She lowered her eyes to his. "What do we have to lose at this point?"

Josh sighed and seemed to shrink in stature before her eyes. "Sure, why not?"

Jack broke into a grin and rose from his chair. "That's great. I'll send Walter around with some paperwork to sign. We're a top-secret facility so you'll have to sign the usual forms. In the meantime, I'll contact Ernie."

Kay looked startled. "Ernie?"

Jack paused on his way out the door. "Our medical consultant. I'm warning you though, he's a bit . . . different."

Josh shook his head. "I don't care if he's rootin'-tootin' orange and three feet tall with bug-eyes as long as he can get me working again. A man ain't worth nothin' if he can't work."

Teal'c smiled and bowed. "Indeed."

Jack covered his mouth and coughed violently. "Um, he's not exactly orange, but you hit the nail on the head with the rest of your description, Josh."

Kay looked and Josh, his mouth was hanging open and she suspected that hers was too.

"What?" Kay and Josh asked in unison.

Jack waved his hand. "Sorry, it would take too long to explain. I've got a call to make."

Teal'c followed closely behind as Jack left the room.

Kay's gaze swept the room and then lit back on her husband. He looked tired. "Now, get some rest, hon. I'll keep watch for any weird-looking doctors for you." She smoothed his forehead with one hand and smiled tenderly.

"Okay, guess I am tired." His eyes closed, then opened again. "You promise to wake me if you need some help?"

Kay rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. "Yes, I promise. Now get some rest."

An hour later, a nurse awakened Kay. She'd drifted off to sleep with her head laid on the bed by her husband. The nurse smiled and went about taking Josh's vitals as if she'd seen this type of scene reenacted before.

On the bedside table was a folder that Walter had brought by earlier. She picked it up to peruse its contents in puzzlement. Much of what was inside concerned itself with having access to top-secret information and the penalties of divulging it. She was familiar with this sort of thing, having had contact with it during her time in the military. She'd read it over and signed it; and didn't anticipate her husband doing any different.

A noise at the door caused her to look toward it. When Jack's smiling face appeared there, she relaxed and waved the paperwork.

"Got mine all signed. I'm waiting for Josh to wake up so he can sign it too."

Jack stuck his hands in his pockets and sauntered into the room. "Ernie's on his way, and should be here at any time." He consulted his watch and tapped it. "Yep, any time now."

Teal'c appeared behind him, and bowed to Kay. Meanwhile, the nurse left the room, but Kay thought she looked nervous.

A sudden buzzing noise and a bright flash of light caught Kay in the middle of a question. When the black spots cleared from her vision, she looked about her. Nothing had changed. Jack was still standing at the foot of the bed and Teal'c/Murray was beside him. Her gaze continued around the room, then stopped.

Standing next to Jack was a … what? A bug-eyed, little gray Roswell refugee from a low-budget science fiction movie and he . . . no it . . . was butt-naked!

Her hand reached out to shake her husband awake. "Josh?" she whispered, never taking her eyes off whatever _it_ was.

Jack smiled and held out his hand. "Ernie? I'd like you to meet Kay and her husband, Josh. They're joining us here at the SGC."

Kay watched in amazement as the alien thing bounced toward her and extended its hand.

"Nice to meetcha, Kay." Ernie said. Kay grasped his hand and shook it.

Kay blinked. "Um, sure. I think?" She dropped the hand; a part of her noted that it had felt soft and warm. "Jack?"

General O'Neill smiled as he leaned against the footboard of the bed. "It's easier to explain after you've seen him. Ernie is from a race of aliens called the Asgard. He's a good guy and a great doctor. I should know, he's put me back together way too many times for comfort."

Kay stuttered. "Oh, that certainly explains your earlier coughing fit." She got up and circled Ernie, who remained in place, bouncing in slow motion. Once she made the full circuit, she reached out a tentative hand to touch his head.

"You feel soft, not like I thought you would." She withdrew her hand and rubbed her fingers together, then sniffed them. "You don't mind that I touched you, do you?"

Ernie blinked. "Nope, why should I?" He cocked his head. "Jack O'Neill says you're a shrink and that you'll be digging around inside their heads."

Kay smiled. "Yes, you might say that, if they'll have me, that is."

Jack stood upright and rubbed his hands together. "Are you kidding? We need you here, Kay. Haven't you figured that out yet?" He reached down to shake Josh's foot, and then dodged the kick that had been aimed at him.

Kay shook her head, then spoke loudly. "Josh, wake up. Your, umm, doctor is here and I think you need to see this for yourself." Then she turned to Jack. "Don't you know better than to touch a combat vet who's asleep? Jeez, Jack," she muttered.

Josh blinked sleepy eyes at his wife, then rubbed them when he looked beyond her. In spite of his obvious pain, he struggled to sit up and grabbed at his wife. "Kay! Look out!"

Kay wrapped her fingers around his hands and pried them off her shoulder. "It's okay, Josh. His name is Ernie. Jack says he's an alien but one of the good guys."

"What?" Josh looked at Ernie, who looked back at him.

Ernie bounced. "I'm Ernie."

Jack walked over to stand next to Ernie, a hand on his shoulder. "Remember when you said you didn't believe in little green men, Josh?" Josh nodded, a dumb-struck look on his face. "I'd like you to meet our version of that, only he's gray, not green. He's a great Doc and would love to shake your hand." He patted his shoulder like a proud father. "He's learning our customs and has made quite a study of it."

Ernie bounced closer to the bed, and squeezed between Kay's chair and the table. Then he extended his hand. Kay nodded encouragement, so Josh grasped it in his.

"Nice to meetcha, Josh." Ernie said solemnly. "I've already looked over the preliminary test results, primitive though they might be and I'd like to tell you now that we dealt with such things as arthritis and other bone disorders many millennia ago. It will be quite a coup for me to treat a case such as yours." Ernie looked with enthusiasm at his newest patient. "Now, how's about I get on with my examination? If I'm going to fix him up, I'll need to check him out first. " He turned to Jack and Murray and flapped his hands at them. "Now shoo, I don't need you two here."

Then Ernie turned to Kay, his black eyes glittering with excitement. "You can stay. We'll talk shop together as I have many questions to ask about the human psyche especially where it concerns sexual mating habits."

Kay put her hand to her lips to smother a cough, her mind reeling. She exchanged amused glances with her husband who rolled his eyes.

'_I can tell I'm going to love working here, naked aliens and all. God, what a challenge it's going to be . . . and I can hardly wait to start figuring it all out.'_

The end.


End file.
